The running surface of skis and snowboards, by a general term called skis, are exposed on hard snow slopes, especially in snow-poor areas, to high mechanical strain, thereby the running characteristics being negatively influenced, i.e., the frictional resistance increases. In high-performance skis, the running surface is not completely smooth; rather it usually has a structure in the form of grooves or other patterns, which is on the one hand caused by wear and tear by hard ice crystals of snow, or just due to damage of other kinds. In order to give the ski again the original properties or to adapt it to special conditions (soft snow or hard snow), devices are known that renew the original structure or produce a structure at the request of the skier by grinding and subsequent machining Together with the structuring of the running surface, there must also be re-sharpened the steel edges and/or changed the angle of the outer edge to the bottom.
For many years, there have been commercially available different devices, in which the skis are inserted at one end of the device and then passed through various machining stations. Such systems are suitable for machining thousands of skis each year, but not for smaller businesses, such as sporting goods stores, service stations, etc. Simple known devices are capable to grind the running surface and, simultaneously, by the grinding disks, the steel edges on its lower surface are ground to flush with the running surface. Larger systems are also equipped so that the lateral edges are ground into a new fixed angle. Here, the devices must capture the contours of today's most highly specialized skis and the grinding disks are then led along these contours.
One technical task of the present invention is now to create a system that allows performing all machining steps in a small space, while an optimal running surface is produced in which both the running surface and the lateral edges are adaptable to the respective requirements.
This technical task is solved by a system according to the features of patent claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the system are described in the dependent claims.
This process succeeds by holding a ski with a downward facing running surface or bottom in the center of machine frame while a carriage holding the machining tools is passing under the fixed ski and processes the surface with a very narrow tolerance that does not damage the ski bottom covering. The ski is constantly supported by a variety of carrier rollers, and during the machining keeps the required alignment. The carrier rollers, movably mounted in the machine frame and arranged at very short mutual distances, can reliably carry the ski thereby preventing the ski from being bent when the machining tools are applied. The positioning of the ski in the machine frame is ensured by partly fixed and partly moving carrier rollers so that the ski is always precisely aligned, when the machining tools are passed under the ski. The machining tools are guided by distance sensors at a set distance to the ski and along the bottom and the mostly curved side edges. In order to maintain an optimal surface of the machining tools, they are newly whetted with a whetting member, for example with a diamond, which is fixed on the machine frame, in time-selectable intervals and/or patterns are formed on the grinding disks in order to achieve corresponding finish or structures on the running surface of the skis. The whetting element is preferably supplied with cooling water from a through bore, thus reducing the wear and the development of heat. In the area of the lower apex of the grinding disks, they are cleaned with a water jet precisely directed to the grinding disk surface, i.e., the sanding dust and any debris are continuously removed from the grinding disks before the latter again come into contact with the ski. In order to avoid errors due to unbalance, particularly of the sliding surface and structure-grinding disk, with which the cover is being processed, means for detecting and/or correcting the unbalance may be provided.